Best Miter Saw Blade: Buying Guide & Reviews [Updated for 2017]

If you have decided to invest in a miter saw, you might have noticed that the saw blade that you received with your brand new saw doesn’t necessarily produce the fine finishes you are looking for. This is because a miter saw usually comes with a standard all-purpose saw blade that should only be used for your rougher woodworking jobs. Choosing the right saw blade isn’t always an easy task, though. The best miter saw blade for you will depend on the type of material you will be cutting and the finish you are looking for in your projects. The following buying guide and miter saw blade reviews will give you a better idea of what to look for when buying a saw blade, as well as which saw blade would be best suited for the projects you are going to be tackling.

Choosing the right miter saw blade type

There are a lot of different types and designs of miter saw blades on the market today. The quality and type of your miter saw blade, also referred to as a chop saw blade or circular saw blade, can make a big difference in your cutting quality. When choosing the right miter saw blade, you will have to decide what you are going to be using your saw blade for.

There are three main types of saw blades: general purpose combination blades, crosscut blades and specialty blades. The general purpose blade is quite a handy saw blade to own since they are extremely versatile and can be used for most cutting application. A crosscut blade, on the other hand, is designed to make cuts across the grains of wood. Specialty blades include designs such as an HATB blade that is specifically used to cut fine veneers or melamine; and a triple chip grind tooth shape blade is used for harder materials such as cutting aluminum, laminate flooring, and hardwood.

Another way to classify saw blades is between carbide-tipped blades, steel blades and high-speed blades. The carbide-tipped blades are the most expensive, but they have a longer blade life and produce smooth cuts with extra fine finishes. The more affordable steel blades, on the other hand, are good for cutting softwood. The tough high-speed steel blades can be used on a variety of cutting jobs and won’t become dull as often since they work at higher speeds.

What are the different miter saw blade sizes?

The four standard circular saw blade sizes are 7 ½ inches, 8 ½ inches, 10 inches and 12 inches. The smaller your saw blade, the faster it will be able to spin. The faster your blade spins, the smoother your cuts will be. The size of the saw blade that you should be considering will depend also on the type of miter saw that you have. It is important to use the right saw blade size with your miter saw, since the wrong sized blade can cause cutting problems. It is important to also check the bore sizes of your blade. The size of the circular slot in the middle of your saw blade will differ depending on the blade. Even though you won’t be able to use the wrong saw blade on your miter saw, you should make sure that you are shopping for the right size. There’s nothing worse than buying a saw blade just to realize that you bought the wrong one when you get home and try to start up your saw.

What is a miter saw blade guard, and what does it do?

The main purpose of a miter saw blade guard is to protect your hands and fingers from being harmed by your blade. Therefore, most miter saws come with safety features such as kickback protection devices and blade guard assembly. A blade guard is an acrylic cover that covers the blade in order to prevent you from basically chopping off your fingers. This guard will protect the user from accidental contact with the blade from four directions. While it may not be able to protect you from the front, it protects your hands from the rear, from above and from the sides.

Which tooth count should I get?

A chop saw blade can have anything between 14 and 120 teeth. In order to get the best cuts, you have to use a blade with the correct amount of teeth for the project you are using it for. Things to consider when choosing the correct tooth count is the material you will be cutting, the thickness of that material and the finish you are looking for. Typically, a saw blade with more teeth will cut more accurately and give you a finer finish. If you are cutting very thick material, though, then it will be better to opt for a blade with fewer teeth. This is because you can cut faster with a lower tooth count blade since a blade with a tooth count that is too high might end up burning your material.

Where to buy miter saw blades at the best price?

If you are looking to buy a miter saw blade online, then there are a few websites you can have a look at. For reasonable prices, it won’t be a bad idea to have a look at Lowes or Home Depot. Both these websites have a variety of saw blades that you can choose from at good prices. For the best prices, though, Amazon will likely be your best option, since you often pay less for the products than the suggested retail prices.

Reviews

The Freud D1080X Diablo is an 80-tooth high-performance blade that will produce perfectly clean and precise cuts. This 10-inch blade is made from durable micro-grain titanium carbide materials and has been designed to make fine cuts in both softwood and hardwood. This is laser cut blade features an Alternate Top Bevel (ATB) design which will produce an extra smooth finish that will not require any sanding afterward.

The D1080X features a Perma-Shield non-stick coating, a super-thin kerf design, stabilizer vents and it has been engineered to vent excess heat. This will help to both reduce blade warp and increase your blade’s life expectancy. Furthermore, an accurate rotation of 7 000 RPM is possible because of this saw blade’s 5/8-inch laser-cut arbor, reducing blade vibration. This is a great feature since blade vibration can actually lead to premature deterioration of your saw blade.

The Freud LU85R009 is a 9-inch chop miter saw blade that is well-balanced, very sharp and produces almost no vibration even when you are cutting wood that is quite hard and thick. This chop saw blade is made from micro-grain carbide with titanium, and the Perma-Shield coating helps to reduce blade friction.

This 72-tooth blade has specifically been designed to be a crosscutting blade and will, therefore, produce crosscut surfaces which are extremely smooth and shows almost no visible saw marks on both softwood and hardwood. The ATB tooth grind also results in your wood actually being polished while you cut it. The LU85R009 can be used with almost any miter saw because of its laser-cut 5-8-inch arbor and comes with a limited lifetime warranty.

DEWALT DWAFV31260 Flexvolt 60T Miter Saw Blade, 12″

The Dewalt DWAF31260 is a 12-inch blade that has been designed to produce a fine finish cut on most materials. This 60-tooth blade will help to minimize chip load when you are cutting and smooth cuts are possible with its patented body slot design. The DWAFV31260 can also run up to a maximum speed of 4 800 RPM.

Dewalt’s leading technologies and techniques in the production of saw blades ensures that this high-performance blade will produce fast cutting with a low heat build-up. The high-density ceramic grain concentration also ensures that the blade will stay sharper for longer, minimizing the need for sharpening your saw blade. The submicron grade carbide teeth will ensure a longer blade life and its efficiency is maximized by the optimized grind angles and thin kerf design.

Which is the Best Saw Blade for you?

The best miter saw blade for you will depend on what you will be using your saw blade for. The design of the blade will have a great influence on what your miter saw blade will be able to do. Where the number of teeth will determine how smooth your cut will be, the blade size will determine how fast your blade will be able to spin. It is important to know what type of project you are going to be working on when choosing your saw blade since your choice in saw blade will have a huge effect on the types of materials you are going to be able to cut and the finishes you will be able to achieve. Hopefully, these miter saw blade reviews and buying guide has given you a better idea of what to expect when choosing the best miter saw blade for you.